NY-BEST & DNV GL Jointly Open Service Center

The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) and DNV GL (formerly DNV KEMA) today announced the opening of the new state-of-the-art Battery and Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Testing and Commercialization Center in Rochester, New York. The Center’s services include a suite of test, validation and independent certification capabilities that are necessary to introduce new energy storage technologies into the marketplace and accelerate integration of renewable and distributed energy.

Created through a partnership between NY-BEST and DNV GL with seed funding from New York State, the BEST Test and Commercialization Center is an independent global testing and commercialization facility. It includes testing equipment for battery testing of secondary cells and battery packs, as well as temperature test chambers and modular walk-in temperature test chambers. Offering testing from single cells to megawatt systems, the Center’s services include product development, performance validation and certification testing, and a wide range of environmental testing and battery lifetime testing. These services will accelerate the adoption and growth of energy storage technologies.

The Center’s capabilities—while vital to the commercialization of emerging technologies—can be difficult for individual companies to procure within a reasonable geographic proximity or at a reasonable cost. By deploying shared resources into this facility, NY-BEST and DNV GL are filling an important void for the energy storage industry while also helping to grow New York State’s clean energy economy.

“NY-BEST, together with our partner DNV GL, is proud to announce that the BEST Test and Commercialization Center is open for business,” said Dr. William Acker, Executive Director of NY-BEST, “Many global leaders in energy storage technology research and development and manufacturing call New York home. By addressing a need that currently exists in the product development process for batteries and energy storage technologies, the Center will serve as a magnet to attract and grow the energy storage industry here in New York State.”

NY-BEST, a consortium of battery and energy storage companies, universities, government and industry partners, was awarded $6.9 million in combined funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Empire State Development Corporation (ESD) toward the creation of the battery and energy storage commercialization center. To leverage the State funds, NY-BEST, through a competitive solicitation, sought a private partner with specialized expertise to invest in and operate the Center. DNV GL, a global energy powerhouse that unites the strengths of DNV KEMA, GL Garrad Hassan, and GL Renewables Certification was the selected partner, due to its strong heritage in global testing, inspection and certification through its existing laboratories in the USA and Europe, as well as its expansive scope of capabilities in the electric grid and renewables energy consulting business.

Under the partnership agreement, DNV GL is providing investments of up to $16 million, including re-location of its existing energy storage testing operations from its KEMA laboratory facility in Pennsylvania to the new Center at Eastman Business Park in Rochester.

“We believe energy storage is a crucial component of the transition to a more flexible electricity supply, especially as intermittent renewable and distributed energy options are connected into the grid. Our investment in the BEST Test and Commercialization Center is a strong indication of our commitment to accelerating the transformation to a safe, sustainable and secure energy future while supporting the continuous growth of our Testing, Inspection, Certification and Energy Advisory businesses,” said Hugo van Nispen, Executive Vice President, Energy Advisory at DNV GL.

The Center is located in Building 308 at the Eastman Business Center.

www.dnvgl.com/best